Parental Unit
by ScOrPiA pOiSoN
Summary: Wolf gets called to the R&G for what he thinks is bodyguard duty. When he discovers that isn't the case, lives are changed and suddenly he's trooping through uncharted territory. The story behind Parental differences. ADOPTED FROM CROWLOWS19 R&R NO FLAMES
1. Chapter 1

Hi people! This fic used to belong to Crowlows19, but I adopted it. Yay me! Anywho, on with the story!

Disclaimer: Don't own, never will, no matter how hard I keep wishing.

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Wolf sat in the lobby of the Royal and General Bank waiting to be called up for whatever it was he was there for. Although he would never show it, the man was nervous about being in the headquarters of MI6. It didn't really help that they'd asked him not to use the front door as a new 'safety precaution'. Wolf was stuck on the keyword of 'new' and was trying to figure out why they suddenly needed it. What had happened?

Wolf pushed these thoughts from his mind with a heavy sigh. He was feeling both bored and frustrated over the long wait. He'd been sitting in the lobby, as per the instructions of the cute and cranky secretary, for over an hour. They'd called him earlier that morning asking him to come in for a special job. It was common for the SAS to act as 'bodyguards' for high security agents and witnesses so he wasn't overly surprised to hear from them. He was, however, quite surprised when the elevator dinged to announce its arrival and out came the deputy head of SO herself, Mrs. Jones. The dark skinned woman was sucking on her usual peppermint and she had a rather pleasant look on her face as she approached Wolf.

Wolf stood up, slightly confused at the sudden presence of such a high ranking person, and shook the hand she offered him.

"Wolf," she greeted simply.

"Mrs. Jones," he replied.

"Follow me," she said and then turned back to the elevator. They rode up in a silence that wasn't comfortable but wasn't uncomfortable either; it was just silence. He followed her through a maze of generic and boring corridors before she reached an unmarked door and opened it without knocking. He followed her inside the grey office instantly registering the calculating look he was receiving from the grey man behind the desk.

"Wolf," the man greeted stiffly and Wolf nodded his head in return as he sat down in the stiff back chair facing the desk.

"Wolf, this is Alan Blunt, Head of Special Operations," Mrs. Jones said unnecessarily. Wolf already knew who the man was, even if he'd never met him. He couldn't, for the life of him, understand why the Heads of MI6 would want to personally speak to him about this job he'd be doing. Usually he was briefed by some nameless desk job guy and got on with it. Was it really that bad?

"What am I doing here?" Wolf asked cutting to the chase and not caring if it sounded rude. It's not like these people really cared about pleasantries or anything.

"We have a favor to ask you," Jones told him and it was testament to his training that his look of shock was only fleeting. These people never asked for favors, especially when they could just order you to do it.

"A favor?" he asked and Jones nodded. Blunt was still giving him that calculated look.

"Yes," she replied simply and Wolf fought his urge to sigh in frustration. Just spit it out already!

"What is it?" he asked not able to keep the bite out of his tone.

"I believe you are familiar with Alex Rider," Blunt said Wolf felt his eyebrows rise a fraction. Alex Rider? As in Cub? The man had only heard his real name briefly at Point Blanc when Jones had been talking to him, but it had been enough to remember it. He'd probably never forget that name. He doubted Cub even remembered this little tid-bit; he'd been a little out of it at the time.

"What about him?" Wolf asked stiffly.

"So you are familiar with him," Blunt said. Wolf was quickly getting angry at this game. He hated talking to MI6 and he could already feel a headache coming on.

"Yes, I know him," Wolf snapped. "What about him?"

"Are you aware of his family situation, Wolf?" Jones asked.

"Uh, no," he replied honestly. What the hell? How was he supposed to know anything about Cub's home life?

"Well, Alex, who is an orphan, only recently lost his uncle. Ian was the last of his family and he's currently being looked after by one Miss Jacqueline Starbright," Jones told him and Wolf instantly felt guilty. Orphan? He hadn't known that. Wolf had a fairly large family himself and while he didn't talk to them much, as his job didn't really allow it, he'd be devastated if something happened to any of them.

"Oh," was all he said wondering why they were telling him any of this.

"Yes, and here's the problem," Blunt continued. "Miss Starbright is leaving the country in a few days and Alex's current situation leaves him very few options."

"Why is she leaving?" Wolf asked.

"Miss Starbright's younger sister, along with her husband, was killed in a car crash about a week ago," Jones told him. "She's going back to help with her three nephews."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with me?" he asked missing the reason for him being there entirely.

"Alex's situation is unique," Blunt informed him. "The nature of his job keeps most simple solutions from even being considered. He cannot leave the country along with Miss Starbright and a foster home doesn't provide the security we would like for him to have."

"Alex has many enemies," Jones continued. "A foster home or an orphanage could potentially risk his safety, not to mention he would probably refuse to go."

"Okay, again, how does this involve me?" Wolf asked.

"We need Alex somewhere relatively safe and with a guardian we, as well as he, can trust," Blunt replied staring at Wolf head on. The soldier's brow crinkled in confusion until his eyes grew wide in shock a moment later as he finally caught on.

"You want _me _to be his guardian?" he half shouted.

"Yes," Blunt replied simply.

"Are you insane?! I can't take him," he exclaimed.

"Why not?" Jones said. "You're currently off active duty, as is your Unit, you have the room, and you know him."

"Yeah, for eleven days in hell. We're best friends," Wolf said sarcastically. "I don't know how to take care of a kid."

"You have younger brothers do you not?" Blunt asked. Wolf didn't even bother asking how he knew that.

"Yes, but that doesn't make me a parent," he said harshly then winced at the word 'parent'.

"Alex is very independent," Jones said. "I doubt you'll have to do much 'parenting'." Wolf couldn't tell if she was mocking him or not and it only made him more frustrated.

"Then why make him have a guardian at all?" Wolf asked clinging at straws. "Why not let him live as an emancipated teen?"

"He is only fifteen," Jones reminded him.

"So?" Wolf said with his customary glare, not that it affected her in the slightest. "He's old enough to go into battle but not live by himself?" He was, of course, referring to Point Blanc. Wolf had fought hard against the decision to take Cub back into the school. If he was that needed set the kid up with a radio and let him talk the SAS through the school. It would have worked just as well and the kid would have been out of danger.

"He's fifteen," Jones reiterated. "He's independent, not an adult." Wolf fought his urge to tell her that, that statement didn't go with their earlier assessment of the boy.

"So why not put him in a regular foster home?" Wolf asked.

"In the unlikely event that a past enemy of Alex's were to appear," Blunt said. "It would be best to have a soldier, who is aware of Alex's job, be the one to handle it rather than a civilian."

"Oh, so now I have to worry about avenging terrorists?" Wolf said his sarcasm evident and bitter. "That's just great."

"You worry about that now," Jones said. "You are a member of the SAS."

"So I've been told," he replied then sighed in frustration. "Can I have some time to think about it?  
"We can give you up to twenty-four hours," Blunt said by way of agreement.

"Fine," Wolf replied getting up to leave. Jones stopped him.

"Wolf," she said and he turned his attention towards her. She handed him a business card with a phone number printed on it and nothing else. "Let me know when you've made your decision." He nodded to let her know that he would, turned, and left.

Wolf barely remembered making it home, he was so lost in his thoughts. He remembered when he'd first met Cub; he'd thought it was a joke. A fourteen-year-old schoolboy? At Brecon Beacons? Cub had proven himself to K-Unit time and again throughout those eleven days despite all the shit they'd given him. Wolf hadn't liked that Cub was there, not because of pride (okay maybe a little bit) but because the kid was a _kid._ He shouldn't have been there, whether he could do it or not.

No kid deserved to go through what he was sure Cub had gone through. MI6 were hardly a walk through the park. The only way Wolf could fight the order of Cub's training was to get him binned and sent home where he belonged. It hadn't worked and all he'd really done was make himself look like a prick.

Cub had gotten his revenge though and in the process had saved Wolf's career. He owed him for that if nothing else, but _guardianship_? That was pushing it. He may not have wanted the kid to be MI6's secret weapon but that didn't mean he wanted to take care of the boy.

By the time Wolf reached his one-story, two bedroom home it was well past 10 o'clock. He'd been at MI6 HQ longer than he'd thought and with his car in the shop he'd had to take the tube, then walk a good two kilometers. He had bought the home with his younger brother but he'd long moved out having found himself a wife. Now Wolf lived alone in the small, bare house. Even he sometimes found it pathetic and depressing.

As he opened the door his phone began to ring and he hurried to the kitchen to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Jaime!" came the excited shout of his older sister, Maria. "You actually picked up!"

"Hi, Maria," he said with an eye roll.

"Don't give me that tone," she snapped. "And don't roll your eyes either and you need to call mama and tell her you're not dead." Maria had always been like a second mother to her siblings. As the oldest, she felt it her duty to boss them around. Wolf found it increasingly annoying and sweet the less he saw her.

"I will," he promised and she gave a noise of skepticism. "I will!"

"Mmm, Hmm. I'm sure you will," she placated. "How are you Jaime?"

"I'm okay, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah, I kinda got a weird request today," he told her and he could practically see her eyebrows rise in question.

"What happened?" she asked thoroughly interested.

"Well, child services called me," he lied easily. He hated doing it but there was no way he was telling the full truth because, one, he didn't want to put her in any kind of danger and, two, he didn't want to listen to her ranting and raving.

"Child services called _you_?" she asked disbelieving. "About what?"

"About maybe taking in a foster kid," he told her and felt distinctly annoyed at her sudden burst of laughter.

"You can barely keep your plants alive, how are you going to keep a child alive?" she exclaimed.

"I told them it wasn't a good idea," he said.

"Have you accepted?" she asked growing serious again.

"I haven't decided yet," he told her with a sigh.

"Are you planning on accepting?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "They said I was basically his last option but I don't know anything about taking care of a kid."

"I know," she agreed easily. "But what about the boy?"

"I don't know what would happen to him," he replied.

"What do you know about him?" she asked.

"Not much," he said truthfully. "Really just his name." He heard her sigh at the lack of information. Maria had always been good with taking things in stride but she loved to gossip and hated not knowing.

"Are you honestly this boy's last chance?" she asked.

"I said option, not chance," Wolf said not wanting to make Alex seem like some problem child.

"Same thing," she told him. "Now answer the question." He thought over what he'd been told about Alex that afternoon. An orphan, last of his family, and a guardian who'd be leaving in a few days for who knew how long.

"Yes," he said.

"Then do it," she said simply.

"But-"

"No," she interrupted him. "No but's or what if's. It sounds as if this boy has no where to go. I don't know if that's true or not, you never tell me anything, but that's how it sounds. If you can help him, and I know you can, then you should."

"I don't know how to take care of a kid," Wolf repeated.

"You'll learn," she told him. "I know you Jaime, you'll be fine." She hung up quickly after that and Wolf was left to his own thoughts again. He could honestly say he had no idea what to do. He was tired and he didn't want to think about it anymore that night. Opting to worry about it in the morning, he went to bed.

The next morning saw Wolf waking up as tired as before he'd gone to bed. It had taken him hours to get to sleep and even then it wasn't peaceful. His mind was on overload with everything he'd been told and the decision he was supposed to make.

Maria had said he could do it. Could he? Could he really take care of this super spy kid? Of course, MI6 had made it sound as if the boy just needed a place to crash for a while and that all he'd be doing was providing a little room and board. But somehow, Wolf didn't think it'd be that simple.

Cub wasn't an ordinary fifteen-year-old, there was no denying that, but there was also no denying that, despite the maturity and the training he knew this kid had, Cub was only fifteen. Wolf didn't care how well Cub had done at Brecon Beacons, it didn't sit well with him that he was working for SO. It hadn't sat well when they'd first met, it hadn't sat well at Point Blanc, and it didn't now either.

MI6, while being pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, had said Cub was out of options. What would happen if he said 'no'? Would Cub go to some other soldier or would they stick him where no one wanted him to be? And if he said 'yes' would he be Cub's guardian or would he be Cub's 'guardian'? Would he be a puppet to make it look legal or would it be legal? Wolf wished he could talk to Cub's soon-to-be old guardian and ask her what the hell was going on.

But he still hadn't decided. Wolf owed Cub his career even if the kick had probably only been an act of revenge if anything. Wolf had been a little bitter over being kicked out of a plane and had planned on smacking the boy upside the head only to find he wouldn't be returning. At the time he'd thought, "Good. He shouldn't be here anyway," and shoved Cub from his mind. He'd received quite a shock on finding him, bloodied and unconscious, at the bottom of a mountain. Point Blanc had opened his eyes to the fact that Cub hadn't simply gone home when he'd disappeared from Brecon Beacons and that MI6 weren't about to let him stop, no matter what the risk.

Wolf wondered briefly about what Cub had been doing since Point Blanc, then decided he'd probably be better off not knowing. There was nothing he could do and he would more than likely only get angry over whatever information he was given. However, he was still curious to know, who wouldn't be?

He sighed heavily. Either way he was affecting not only his own life, but Cub's, and in a pretty big way. He got off the couch and turned off the TV. He'd attempted to distract himself for a little while longer but, of course, it hadn't worked. He went to the phone in the kitchen and picked up the card he'd left there the night before. As he dialed he wondered if he was doing the right thing.

"Royal and General Bank."

"Yes, I need to speak to Mrs. Jones."

"Name?"

"James Alvarado," he said figuring Jones would know exactly who that was.

"Please hold," the woman said and, this time, he waited for less than a minute.

"Good morning, Wolf," she greeted.

"Morning," he replied politely.

"Have you made your decision?" she asked and Wolf paused. He wasn't sure why; maybe just to collect his thoughts; maybe to give himself a chance to change his mind.

"I have," he said tightly.

"And?" she prodded. Again a pause. Why was he hesitating so much? He wasn't normally like this. When he made a decision he stuck by it, usually only backing down for a damn good reason. Maybe it was because he was in completely unfamiliar territory. Maybe it was because he wasn't sure of what he was doing and if this was the right decision. Again, he wished he could talk to someone about this; someone who had even the slightest idea of what they were doing. Hell, he'd even take Eagle at this point. He took a calming and mostly silent breath and gave his answer.

"I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

Cub showed up about a week later. Wolf hadn't been told when he'd get there when he'd spoken to Jones. The MI6 woman had said very little, though that was hardly surprising. She reiterated that Cub didn't need much looking after and that all potential threats were being watched closely. This did nothing to calm Wolf's nerves and as the week progressed he started to have second thoughts.

Maria had been pleased when he'd told her about accepting and then proceeded to lecture him for a solid three hours when he'd voiced his thoughts of backing out. Wolf had eventually tuned her out, opting to watch the football game instead, but from what he did listen to, she was very upset about, "the poor boy having no place to else to go, and you're his last option James, so you better straighten up." She hung up only when it was time to go to work. Her spiel had kept him from picking up the phone and calling Jones back though. He'd already made the commitment, the least he could do was follow through.

He had yet to inform the rest of K-Unit about the Cub situation. He didn't know how to bring it up; blurting it out to Maria was one thing, she didn't know this kid or their rather uncomfortable history together. K-Unit on the other hand, did know that history, and Wolf couldn't bring himself to just tell them. Fox, newly returned from MI6, wouldn't have a problem with it; Snake would ask all sorts of questions about how he was going to take care of a child, much less Cub; Eagle would die of a mix of his own laughter and Wolf's blown up temper. No, best to wait or, if luck was on his side, not tell them at all.

The doorbell to his small home rang and Wolf got off the couch he'd been more or less planted to for the last week. Walking down the hall, he wondered how this was going to go; it would be interesting to see.

The doorbell rang a couple more times as if the person on the other side was impatient and already tired of standing on his stoop. Knowing it was probably Cub being his annoying, teenage self Wolf wrenched open the door prepared to snap at the kid. His jaw shut audibly when he caught sight of the boy for the first time in over half a year.

Bruised. That was how Wolf would describe him; completely and utterly bruised. His face was more purple than any other shade and Wolf was certain that he would have bruises or possibly worse injuries else where.

"Damn, Cub," he exclaimed. "What happened to you?" Cub looked at him blankly, a spark of confusion in his eyes before he remembered how he must look to other people.

"Got in a fight," he replied vaguely.

"With who? A high speed train?" Wolf asked gruffly, referring to their last meeting when Cub had literally been hit by a train. Cub gave a small smile before he answered.

"A high speed train isn't a person, Wolf," he said. Wolf rolled his eyes at him but stayed silent. Cub asked his next question uncertainly, "Are you my temporary guardian?"

"Yeah, didn't MI6 tell you?" he asked and moved aside so that Cub could enter the house. The blond boy moved past Wolf into the entryway but didn't go far into the house as if waiting to be invited in further.

"They only told me your real name," Cub said and Wolf watched his eyes dart around taking in everything. "I didn't recognize it."

"Why didn't you just ask who it was if you didn't recognize it?" Wolf asked him. Cub looked thoughtful at the question but only shrugged in the end.

"I guess I could have," he said. "If I was going to find out anyway there's no use in lying to me." Wolf, not knowing how to respond to that comment changed the subject.

"C'mon," he said. "I'll show you to your room." He walked down the hallway with Cub following him. He pushed open the door to the rather bare, white spare bedroom and entered. Wolf never really went in there much, because he had no need to. The walls were white, the bed was small, but would fit Cub fine, and the desk and chair were old. There was a small closet next to the desk and the room had only one window.

Cub dumped his duffel bag and backpack on the bed and crossed to the window. He stared out for several moments in silence before Wolf felt the need to break it.

"Where do you go to school?" he asked for lack of anything else to say. He leaned against the door frame in preparation for a quick exit.

"Brookland," Cub said simply turning to look at him. "Why?" Wolf shrugged at the question.

"Just curious," he said. "How you been Cub?"

"I'm fine," he replied. Wolf eyed the bruises on his face as if that was sufficient evidence that, no, Cub was not completely fine.

"You sure about that?" he asked his tone taking a mocking sound to it.

"Yes," the boy said looking a little confused.

"How'd you get the bruises?" Wolf asked bluntly hoping to catch the boy off guard. He was curious as to what Cub had been up to; it wasn't usual to use a fifteen year old as a spy so he wanted to know what they used him for. Who wouldn't be curious?

"In a fight," Cub reiterated, just as bluntly.

"With who?" Wolf asked

"A very big man," Cub said.

"And that would be?"

"Classified," was the reply. Not the answer he was looking for. Not really knowing where to continue with the conversation he changed the subject yet again.

"I was planning on ordering a pizza," he said. "You want anything specific on it?"

"Not really," Cub said.

"Alright then, I'll leave you to it," Wolf told him and left. He heard the door close softly, almost silently, behind him.

Cub didn't talk much; Wolf found that out quickly. He would answer generic questions, but never in detail and never with more words than he needed. Wolf found it frustrating.

They'd eaten on the couch in front of the TV, because Wolf didn't have a kitchen table. His brother had taken it when he'd moved out and Wolf hadn't seen the need to replace it.

The two of them had made small talk and Wolf, figuring Cub wouldn't say much about his job, steered clear of that line of conversation for now. He figured Cub just didn't trust him enough to say anything; he understood that easily. But Cub wouldn't say much about anything else either and after a while the two just fell silent.

"Do you know my name?" Cub asked suddenly. Wolf looked at him a little startled by the sudden and random question.

"Yes," Wolf replied.

"How?" Cub asked him. "Did MI6 tell you?"

"They did," Wolf confirmed and Cub looked back at the comedy show they were watching.

"What is it?" Cub asked.

"Huh?" Wolf grunted a little confused.

"What's my name?"

"It's Alex," Wolf said wondering why the boy felt the need to quiz him on names.

"Yours is James," Cub said as if confirming, for Wolf's benefit, that he knew his name as well.

"Yes, it is," Wolf told him. He knew he was giving the kid an odd look but he couldn't help it. He'd never had a conversation this weird before. Normally, someone said a name and moved on in life; Cub seemed to be dwelling on it. He was surprised when the next words out of Cub's mouth came in rapid fire Spanish.

"_I figured you're Spanish because of your last name. Were you born in Spain?_" he asked. Wolf easily made the transition from English to Spanish without missing a beat.

"_No, but my parents were. I was born in London. How do you know Spanish?_" he said and Cub smiled.

"_My uncle made sure I could speak it. It was part of my training,_" he said.

"_Uncle?_" Wolf asked confused. Cub wasn't supposed to have any family left.

"_Yeah, he raised me but he died a year ago. That's why Jack takes care me,_" Cub told him and Wolf couldn't help but feel a little sorry him. If his uncle died a year ago that would have been around the same time Cub had been sent to Brecon Beacons. It was a little cruel to make a fourteen-year-old go through that type of hell in the first place, but on top of a family death? Wolf once again felt bad for the part he'd played in torturing the boy. Since Wolf didn't answer, Cub said, "_My friend asked me if I could go to a movie tonight. Can I?_"

"_I don't care,_" Wolf said instantly. He really didn't care what Cub's social calendar looked like. It was a bit of a shock to be asked though; he really was supposed to take care of the kid, including the permission to go out part. It was unnerving. Cub stood up from the couch and went to his room to get his jacket, wallet, and mobile. Wolf heard the front door click behind him as he left.

"So, what's he like?" Maria asked. Wolf rolled his eyes at what he considered to be her over-interest in the subject. He'd called her about five minutes after Cub had left to tell her the boy had finally gotten there. She'd been waiting more anxiously than he had but for entirely different reasons.

"Quiet," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"He doesn't like to talk a lot," he explained.

"Maybe he's shy," she suggested.

"No, I don't think that's it," he said. "I think he's just been through a lot."

"Oh, that poor sweetheart," she cooed and again Wolf rolled his eyes.

"He's not a baby, Maria."

"He's still a child, Jamie," she snapped. "And don't even think of telling me that he doesn't like it. A child is a child no matter how mature."

"That's the strangest perspective on that subject I've ever heard," he told her truthfully. She laughed at him then changed the subject.

"Have you talked to mama?" she asked.

"Yes, I have," he said gruffly. "And thank you, for telling her about everything I told you. She called to ask how I was going to take care of a child when I didn't even have a wife." Maria's laughter was loud and full of amusement at his expense.

"Oh, you know mama, so caught up in the old ways," she said. "You did remember to feed him right?"

"He's not a dog, Maria," Wolf said.

"I'm aware, but teenage boys eat a lot," she said.

"We had pizza."

"Jamie," she practically moaned. "That's not a healthy meal."

"I don't cook," he said.

"I'll bring you some food tomorrow," she said. Wolf instantly thought of Cub's bruises and how Maria would probably not take the sight of the boy that well.

"Um, I don't know if that's a good idea Maria," he said quickly. "He just got here. Give him a little space."

"It's just food Jamie," she admonished.

"Well, I just don't think you should meet just yet," he said then mentally scolded himself. He'd just put himself into a trap.

"Why shouldn't we meet?" she asked curiously. "Is something wrong with him?"

"Um, no, not really," Wolf said trying his hardest to come up with a valid reason for why she shouldn't come.

"Is he skittish?" she asked drawing her own conclusions.

"No," Wolf said instantly, not really wanting to make Cub seem any weirder than he already was.

"Then I'll be over tomorrow afternoon," she said. "It's a Saturday so there shouldn't be any problem."

"Okay," he agreed slowly. She hung up a few moments later and Wolf turned back to the TV. Shit, just what he needed. Maria would undoubtedly tell the entire family about Cub and his condition and the next thing he knew his mother would be in his house. Then there was his brother's wife, who might as well have been a second sister she was so involved. Wolf loved his family but he was a private person and he knew for a fact that Cub was as well.

He wondered how the boy would take to having his loud, overly nosy family around. If nothing else, it would funny to watch.

Cub came back around eleven-thirty, taking a seat next to Wolf on the couch.

"Have you moved at all?" he asked.

"Yes," Wolf said roughly. "What did you see?"

"I don't know," Cub said. "I fell asleep."

"You should still know to what you were supposed to be watching," Wolf said with a small smile.

"Tom bought my ticket because I was late," Cub said. "I didn't really pay attention."

"That boring, huh?" Wolf said.

"I guess," he replied. Wolf turned to look at him only now seeing the new injury to Cub's face as this was the first time he'd looked at him head on since sitting down.

"Why is your lip bleeding?" Wolf asked casually. Cub did not need anymore injuries to his face. He already looked terrible. The boy brought a hand to his lip and wiped some of the blood away.

"Oh, I got in a fight," he said and Wolf rolled his eyes.

"Do you just attract violent people?" he asked.

"Like a magnet," Cub quipped but at Wolf's raised eyebrow explained a little further. "There's a kid from school who doesn't like me. I was talking with his girlfriend and he got pissed. No big deal."

"So, what, he just hit you?" Wolf asked.

"Yeah, then management kicked him out. Permanently," Cub said looking a little too happy.

"You didn't get a shot in?" Cub's smile faltered at the question and he shook his head.

"I didn't want to hurt him," he said. They fell silent again and, once again, Cub broke it with a random statement.

"I don't have a key," he said.

"There's a spare one in dish on the table by the door," Wolf told him without looking away from the screen.

"Oh," was all the kid said.

"My sister's coming over tomorrow," Wolf said bluntly. He figured the kid deserved a heads up.

"You have a sister?" Cub asked sounding a little shocked. Wolf nodded trying to fight the smile that threatened to break out.

"She doesn't think I eat properly so she's bringing food over tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay," Cub said. He left after that and Wolf heard him go to the small table by the door and grab his key. About twenty minutes after Cub's door closed, Wolf went to bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Wolf didn't see much of Cub that next day. Maria still wasn't there yet and even though she was an hour late Wolf didn't really expect her anytime soon. Maria was almost chronically late, something he'd always teased her about. Cub had more or less barricaded himself in his room. Wolf had seen him briefly that morning as the kid dumped his empty cereal bowl in sink but that was it. He wondered if he should try to talk to him.

It couldn't be easy after all. MI6 had given no details but the boy's guardian was gone and with the less than loving attitude he'd had towards the boy before he had a feeling Cub just didn't like it here. It wasn't unreasonable but it was a bit annoying. Cub had a tendency to sneak around even thought it was probably not a conscious thing. He wondered how Cub got so good at stealth as he was probably better than most SAS at this point.

He was still debating with himself on whether or not to talk to the kid when his mobile rang. He gave a sigh of relief to the distraction of the weird techno song Eagle had insisted he have as a ring tone that broke into his thoughts.

"Hello?" he answered not even bothering to glance at caller id. He really didn't care who it was at this point.

"James!" was the almost giddy shout. "Where you been?" Great, speaking of Eagle.

"Home," he said simply. "What do you want?"

"What are you doing right now?" he asked. Wolf wondered where this could possibly go. Whenever Eagle asked this question they usually found themselves in some awkward situation that he thought was some sort of adventure.

"Nothing," he said. "And I plan on keeping it that way."

"Well, fine," came the clipped reply. "Can I at least join you on your plan for nothingness? I'm bored."

"Call the others," he said and heard the other man sigh.

"I did," he replied.

"And?"

"And they're bored too," he said. "Why? There a reason you don't want us to come over?" Wolf considered his next words. They were going to find about the Cub thing anyway but he wasn't sure if now was the best time to ambush the kid with them. Wolf wasn't the most sensitive guy in the world but even he could tell that something was going on with the kid.

The Unit would defiantly want to see him again if just to annoy him halfway to hell. In the end he just blurted it out. Blunt honestly usually worked best with Eagle.

"Cub's here," he said and was met with almost complete silence on the other end of the line.

"Uh, what?"

"You heard me," he replied. "MI6 asked me to look after him for a while."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," Wolf replied with a roll of his eyes.

"You can't even keep your plants alive!" Eagle squawked rather indignantly. "How do you plan on keeping Cub alive?" Wolf heard a distant shout of, "What?" from what was most likely Snake. Wolf let out an annoyed huff.

"I'm not that bad," he said. "Besides he can take care of himself. They just need something on paper you know?"

"No, I don't know," Eagle said. "Why ask you?"

"I don't know," he growled. Again, there was silence as the other soldier apparently ran out of things to say. He'd think of more in a little while.

"So, can we come over? We're bored." Swear to god, the man had a one track mind. Although, Wolf knew he was itching to see Cub again. The boy had disappeared on them twice now with no explanation as to where he came from and what he's supposed to be doing. They were all curious and they all wanted answers.

"Not today," he said. He in no way wanted his Unit and his big sister in the same room. That would be disastrous. "My sister's coming over."

"Tomorrow?" he pressed.

"Yeah, fine," he said and after setting a time he hung up. He heard it in the brief silence that occurred when he changed the channel on the television and the sound hadn't yet kicked into the other broadcast's signal. The soft click of the extra bedroom's door. Wolf knew the boy could sneak around better than anyone he had ever seen but this was just creepy.

Cub had most likely just heard that entire conversation. It didn't matter if that was the intention, Wolf knew it happened. He'd probably heard his name and stopped to listen in; Cub was just that type of person. Wolf had seen that type many times before. Hell, he was that way to an extent. He wondered what Cub had made of it.

Probably nothing rational. Superspy aside, Cub was a teenager.

Finally Maria managed to get there at around two in the afternoon. Wolf was starving having waited for her food rather than attempting to make something himself. It was far less dangerous that way. He answered the door and was immediately assaulted with grocery bags full of plastic containers. He took it all to the kitchen, but certainly not quietly.

"Jesus, Maria," he whined. "You're not here to feed an army."

"James, you can eat more than two armies combined," she threw back. "If you didn't work out so much, you'd be fatter than Uncle Mike." James gave a small smile at the thought of their rotund Godfather. He certainly could stand to lose a few pounds.

"I'm not sure that's possible," he said. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Just put the food away," she ordered, taking a seat at the table. "So, where is he?"

"Who?" he asked, playing dumb to rile her up.

"You know exactly who, Jamie," she replied.

"He's in his room," he said, shutting the fridge door and opening the lid to a container he'd purposefully left out. He plopped the chorizo breakfast burrito on a plate and put it in the microwave. It wasn't the most Spanish dish out there, but Maria always made it insanely spicy. He remembered when he'd forgotten to let his Unit know how spicy it was and they'd all bit into it only to have burning tongues for an hour. He'd never seen them drink that much water, that fast. They'd looked at him like he was crazy when he'd added hot sauce to his.

"Why is in he in is room?" she asked conversationally.

"He's a pretty private kid," Wolf replied with a shrug. Cub was nothing if not private. He knew that just from being around the boy for more than two seconds.

"I still want to meet him," she said. He paused uncomfortably for a moment and she looked at him with a look that let him know she was listening

"He's a little banged up," he warned her, his voice a little low in case Cub was listening in.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her motherly instincts already kicking in. Wolf squirmed a little. He hated lying to his big sister, but there wasn't much of a choice.

"He, uh," Wolf stuttered.

"Was he abused?" she asked quickly, not wanting to shift through his stammered answer.

"You could say that," he replied.

"I'm asking that," she said quickly, not about to be thrown off. "Are you saying that?"

"I don't really know how he got messed up," he said truthfully. "It could all just be from some fight. They didn't give me much about his past and, like I said, he's pretty private."

"Oh," was all she said. He let draw whatever conclusion she could from that vague conversation. Maria didn't know about Cub's occupation and he had no intention of cluing her in.

"Alex!" he called out suddenly after a few moments of silence. Maria, being used to sudden and loud noise, didn't even jump. "Come out here!"

Cub finally made an appearance. He looked very tired, Wolf noted. He hadn't even bothered to get dressed and was still in black sweatpants, a baggy t-shirt, and barefooted. Although, he had combed his hair, the kid looked a mess.

"Yeah?" he said, his eyes darted to Maria once then rested on Wolf, his demeanor was completely relaxed.

"This is my sister, Maria," Wolf said, nodding in her direction. "Maria this is Alex." The boy stepped forward so he could shake her hand and she and the boy exchanged pleasantries.

"Are you hungry, Alex?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, I guess I could eat," he said. She stood up and walked towards the fridge.

"I brought James some food," she told him. "He's a terrible cook and we wouldn't you to starve." Cub gave a small, amused smile while Wolf gave an annoyed grunt but continued to eat. "Would you like a breakfast burrito?"

"Sure, sounds good. Thanks," he said.

"Oh, no problem sweetie," she gave him a sweet smile. While Maria put the food on the plate and into the microwave Cub took the seat beside Wolf, so that Maria could have her seat across from him back. Wolf gave Maria silent thanks for not staring at the kid's bruises which had started to turn a bit yellow as they healed. He looked terrible and Wolf was sure he was in some sort of pain. He made a mental note to ask if the kid was taking anything for the pain.

Maria plopped the plate and a fork in front of Cub and sat down. She watched with an amused look as he picked the fork up. Wolf eyed him as well. It was a long standing family joke to never tell a person how spicy the food they were about to eat was. His family had always eaten extremely spicy foods and always found it hilarious when someone couldn't handle it. The faces they made were priceless.

But Cub was full of surprises. He ate it without batting an eye, much like they did. Maria just smiled even wider but Wolf was a little put off. He'd been looking forward to the boy's reaction.

"So, Alex," Maria said starting up the conversation again. "What school do you go to?"

"Um, I go to Brookland," he replied.

"Oh, I've heard of that school. It's supposed to be one of the best," she said. He nodded.

"Uh, yeah, it's pretty good," he said. Maria's smile never faltered at the obvious discomfort for small talk. Cub clearly didn't know how to do it very well. At least, in a normal situation. After a few more questions and answers, Maria pretty much left him alone turning the conversation back to Wolf.

He ignored the nagging with ease but he did catch more than a few repressed laughs from Cub. The two siblings had slipped back into their normal family banter with ease and had actually switched to Spanish without realizing it. Maria had been quite shocked when Cub had cut in with his flawless Spanish. Wolf had to suppress a laugh as she continued to gush about the English boy's language skills asking how he had learned it so well.

"_My uncle took me to Spain when I was little,_" he told her in their first language. "_We even lived there for a while and he made me do most of the talking until I learned it._"

"_How old were you?_" she asked.

"_I think I was about four,_" he said. This boy was just full of surprises. Cub disappeared to his room a little bit after that, leaving the two siblings alone again.

"He is a very interesting boy," Maria commented. Wolf nodded.

"Yeah, he's got a few surprises about him," he replied.

"What do you know about him?" she asked, suddenly very serious. "And I mean really know about him."

The question made him pause. What did he know about Cub? Not much, that was for sure. Pretty much that he'd trained at Brecon Beacons and that he was one hell of an agent. That wasn't very much and it wasn't something he could tell to Maria.

"Not much," he said truthfully. "He did just get here after all." Maria gave a small huff of annoyance. Apparently that hadn't been the answer she was hoping for.

"What?" he asked snappishly.

"Nothing," she said but at his raised eyebrows saw fit to elaborate. "There's just something about him."

"What do you mean?" Wolf asked slowly wondering what she could possibly say.

"He just seems, I don't know, off," she said not making full eye contact anymore. "There's just something about him that doesn't seem normal."

"Well, he has been bouncing around," he said. "And who knows where those bruises came from."

"You should talk to him," she said.

"About what?" She glared at him which actually made him shrink down a little. He may be SAS but she was a woman and they had long perfected that 'look' that would make you feel two inches tall.

"Seriously James?" she snapped. "You honestly have to ask about what you should talk to him about? You need to talk to him about the bruises. If he was abused he'll need help. He'll need to talk."

Wolf already knew that the bruises came from a mission. He hadn't asked Cub about it and MI6 hadn't told him that specifically but it wasn't that hard to guess. He'd seen the boy banged up before and if Cub was going to be staying there for a while he'd probably see him in the some condition again. He hadn't really thought about talking to the kid about it, mostly because he was pretty sure the only honest answer he'd get would be, "Classified".

"Okay, I'll ask him about it," he said to pacify her. He wasn't sure if he really would. He'd ask if the kid was taking anything for pain but beyond that he'd be blocked not only by Cub himself but MI6. He may be SAS but he was only the kid's 'guardian'. He had no idea if the arrangement was anything close to real or just MI6 needing a convenient place to store the kid till they needed him next. It was a rather harsh truth but Wolf didn't trust anything that came out of Blunt's mouth. It was impossible to tell if it was a lie and even if it wasn't the man had no reason to keep his word. If MI6 needed Alex Rider, they would get Alex Rider, no matter what he did.

"You'd better," she said fiercely. "He seems like a really good kid and those bruises look nasty." Wolf could only nod. He didn't have the heart to tell her that she couldn't possibly be able to judge the boy accurately after knowing him all of five minutes and that he could easily just be putting up a front. Wolf didn't distrust Cub but didn't fully trust him either. At least not when it concerned anything outside active duty. He'd gladly work with Cub again, would even go so far as to trust him watching his back, but the boy had a vested interest in lying to him.

Wolf wasn't stupid; he knew the kid had secrets. What he really wanted know, was not the secrets themselves really, but how dangerous they were. Unfortunately he had no clue on how to approach that topic. He'd never really talked to Cub before. Hell, being in the same room was still a little awkward after Brecon Beacons and the fragile truce they'd had at Point Blanc.

It was obvious, even to him, that both of them didn't really know how to act around the other or even know what they should say to each other. It was rather disconcerting to think that they were two strangers with every reason to hate each other living in the same house.

Ugh, what had he gotten himself into?


	4. Chapter 4

Hello all you wonderful people you! I would've had this up yesterday as a Halloween treat, but my beta forgot to PM about the doc...she finally remembered after I PM-shouted at her ;P

Anywho this chapter is dedicated to AmyAlways for being such a supportive friend and my awesome bet: Lavilane!

Disclaimer: No I don't own the extremely hot (I'm a girl, not a guy for all you people who think I'm a guy) Alex Rider, but I'm begging (heh say that out loud) for the rights to own him...

ON WITH THE STORY!

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Wolf fidgeted. He didn't know how to approach the kid, and didn't want to find out. There were two choices available to him at the moment: a) Talk to Cub about his missions and the bruises, or b) get his eardrums ranted to bits by Maria.

He chose the safer option.

Wolf, rather timidly for such a hulking man, trudged to Alex's bedroom and knocked on the door. It cracked open after a few seconds and a blonde head poked out. "Yes?" was the abrupt, but polite answer.

"Er, kid, my sister told me to talk to you about, er, well, your bruises," Wolf mumbled out. He was relieved when he saw a small smile break out on the kid's face at the mention of his eccentric sister.

Wolf cleared his throat and said, "So, kid, could you let me in so we can talk?" Immediately Alex's face closed off and he uttered,

"No," then attempted to close the door, but Wolf's foot purposely got in the way of the door's path.

"Yes, we need to talk!" Wolf snapped, "I want to know how you got those bruises and just what missions those MI6 bastards sent you on! All I know is that one at that madman's school, and you were snowboarding down a mountain on a fucking _ironing board_ being _shot at_, and _then _you get _hit by a fucking train!" _The man was breathing a little heavily after his rant. Alex looked a bit surprised but he still refused to open the door any further.

"What do you want to know?" the kid suspiciously, but quietly, asked. The door opened fractionally wider, loosening its grip on Wolf's foot. Inwardly, said man sighed in relief, 'cos you try having your foot jammed in between a door that keeps trying to close and the corner of a doorway.

"I want to know how many missions you've been on, how dangerous they were, and who you managed to get tangled up with to make so many terrorist organizations out to kill you," Wolf listed. Alex's eyes narrowed, and with no foot to stop the door, he tried to slam it shut, but it was once again stopped, this time by Wolf gripping the door and narrowly avoiding crushing his fingers in the process.

"What if I don't want to tell you?" a muffled, rather childish, reply floated through the almost closed door.

"You will tell me, or else Maria will come in here herself and interrogate you!" Wolf threatened, then added as an afterthought, "and she's worse than any terrorist I've faced too." The door swung open and a face filled with disbelief was revealed.

"No way in hell. I bet she couldn't be as bad as SCORPIA," Alex shot out. The soldier almost retorted with a sharp remark, defending his sister, when he realized SCORPIA must've been one of the terrorist groups that was threatening Cub. No wonder a regular foster home was unacceptable . . .

"Kid, how do you know about SCORPIA?" Wolf asked slowly, "There's no way MI6 would send a child to infiltrate the ranks of SCORPIA," doubt starting to worm its way into his voice.

"The same way you know Maria is scarier than any enemy you've met," Alex said, revealing nothing about the subject, but raising more questions in Wolf's mind. If Cub really did infiltrate SCORPIA, how did he manage to withstand their interrogation or torture?

"Seriously, Cub, tell me," Wolf demanded. He was on the verge of letting himself into the boy's room, but he got the answer he wanted, but wasn't expecting.

"Fine, but only if you, one, promise not to tell anybody, two, I have the right to seriously hurt you if you even try to get this information out of this room, and three, you can't tell Eagle or Snake," Alex said, listing his rules.

"But I have to tell K-unit! They're my family!" Wolf half-shouted. "Wait, what about Fox?"

"If you promise to agree to my terms, then you get to know why I didn't tell you not to tell Fox," Alex reasoned.

Wolf grumbled about unfair rules, but agreed to them.

Once settled in Alex's bedroom, Wolf began to ask questions until Alex raised his hand, silently telling the man to stop. Right when Wolf was about to ask why, Alex's voice started up in the story that made him who he was.

"My hectic life started when my uncle died, and if you have any interruptions, too late for them, 'cos I've already started," Alex said.

Continuing, "Before he died, Ian took me everywhere: Japan, Germany, Spain, France. He taught me rock-climbing, kayaking, scuba diving, pick pocketing, and many foreign languages. My uncle also signed me up for karate when I was seven, and now I'm a second _Dan_ or black belt.

"Once he died, things started to not add up. When I was younger, I never wondered why he always came home from 'business trips' injured, but after his funeral, I started wondering. I now realize that he was preparing me all along for eventually becoming a spy when I grew up.

"They took away Ian's car, claming he was in an accident, and all the stuff in his office was also taken. I caught a glimpse of the van that took away everything related to MI6 in my house and that sparked my interest even more, and this time, I went to the junkyard where the car was waiting to be crushed. Let's just say I got in very close acquaintance with the walls of the vehicle.

Wolf attempted to interrupt, despite Alex's warnings and was immediately silenced by the glare sent his way.

"They called me the next day, telling me they wanted to talk about Ian's will. Instead, it was all a test, to see if they could use me for the Stormbreaker project. Yes, the one with Herold Sayle. I jumped out the window and to the next office, which was Ian's, to find anything I could about the man. What I got was a tranquilizer dart to the chest and no information whatsoever.

"I woke up in the manor at Brecon Beacons and was served lunch with the withered old bag called Alan Blunt. The training, I'm sure you're very familiar with, Wolf," Alex said, directly addressing the soldier for the first time in the monologue. For what he hoped was the last time, Wolf felt a pang of guilt of how he treated the kid, especially when it was just after his uncle's death.

"Wait, if you were living with your uncle, then why couldn't you just go back to your parents?" Wolf asked.

"Because," Alex said, "my parents died in a plane crash when I was a few months old and now I live with my housekeeper." Wolf got the feeling that there was more behind the story than the teen was letting on.

"To shorten up the story that I'd _really _hate to stop," Alex said, sarcasm dripping off his words, "I went on the Point Blanc mission after that, then sent to Skeleton Key as a supposed cover when I ended up taking on the mission. I could've declined the offer, but then my housekeeper would've been deported to America, and England, and much of the world, would be a wasteland from a nuclear bomb.

"After that, I went on a mission all on my own, proving to the MI6 chiefs that Cray was a maniac bent on destroying the world. He had a very . . . unusual, death. The mission I went on next, and rather soon at that, was, er, involving SCORPIA," Alex muttered.

"WHAT?!" Wolf roared, unable to help himself. "MI6 USED A _KID _TO SPY ON SCORPIA?!"

"Let me explain, and you'll see," Alex irritably snapped, "So, as I was saying, I went on a mission in SCORPIA, but I looked for them on my own, again, and was accepted into training after nearly being eaten alive by a wild animal and nearly being drowned. After I betrayed them in the end, I was . . . er, revenge was executed. Then I went on two back-to-back missions after SCORPIA, one in space, and one with Ben-uh, Fox," Alex said, finishing his little tale.

"Whoa," Wolf mumbled, unaware of Alex's situation until now, "and I always thought you were a spoiled brat whose rich daddy sent you to BB."

"That guess was so far off it isn't even funny," Alex deadpanned, "and remember, no telling Eagle and Snake."

Hearing the names of his team members reminded him of what was happening tomorrow: the terrible three were coming to see Cub.

Oh shit.

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Thank you so much, my wonderful reviewers! If I didn't individually reply to your review, I'm terribly sorry, but at least you got a chapter right? I don't hold chapters hostage, but the more you review, the more inspired I feel to write up the next chapter!

Please review! Flames will be given to the devil and used to burn your souls in hell!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahem...anyway REVIEW!

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